United Community School

The data set contains one school: United Community School in Charlotte, NC, a small K–8 school with 250 students and a favorable 13:1 student–teacher ratio. Although the records classify the school as an elementary school, it actually serves grades K–8, and because it is the only school in the data set, the most meaningful comparisons are against North Carolina state averages and the school's own year-over-year results.

The most striking pattern is the gap between early and middle grades. In 2025–2026, 3rd grade reading (66.7%) and math (70.8%) both exceeded state averages, and 4th grade reading also finished above state. Upper grades tell a different story: 8th grade math proficiency was just 14.3% versus 53.0% statewide, and science proficiency hovered around 33–36% in grades 5 and 8 compared with roughly 68% statewide. The school's statewide rank has improved steadily, from the 26th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 40th percentile in 2025–2026, and it has earned a 2-star rating in each of the past two years. At the district level, United Community School ranks in the 22nd percentile among North Carolina districts, which shows that improvement, while real, still has room to grow.

Year-over-year swings are dramatic and likely reflect small grade-level cohorts: 4th grade math jumped from 10.7% to 41.7% in one year, while 5th grade reading fell from 59.1% to 33.3%. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, with 26.2% of students chronically absent compared with the state rate of 24.2%. Free and reduced lunch data were not available, so the school's poverty level cannot be directly assessed. Overall, early elementary grades are a genuine bright spot, while middle-grade math and science achievement, plus student attendance, are the clearest areas of focus for this K–8 school.